Companies House has started the phased roll out of its new powers to tackle fraud and improve the quality and reliability of its data. The new powers are part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), which received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. It aims to tackle economic crime, including fraud
Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget on 6 March, and it will probably be his last major fiscal announcement ahead of this year’s anticipated general election. With a focus on reducing tax for the working population and helping parents, there were several announcements in the Budget that affect businesses and employees which I consider and
When starting or growing a business, it’s important to consider what legal structure will give you the best chance of success. There are several options to explore, including sole proprietorship, partnership, and limited company. Each structure has its own legal considerations, liability implications, and tax obligations that should be thoroughly understood before making a decision.
Often when a team of people decide to do business together they do so with people known to them whether it be family members, colleagues or friends. It is common to feel that formalising the business relationship legally is unnecessary as parties often find it difficult to imagine that these seemingly positive relationships could deteriorate
An insurance company has been granted permission to transfer the management of three policies to Belgium so that they can be conducted in the European Economic Area (EEA) following Brexit. UK-based insurance policies are no longer able to exercise passporting rights to provide cross-border services and conduct business in the EEA following Britain’s exit from
The High Court has outlined what constitutes a business partnership in law following a dispute between a couple who ran a business together. The case involved Ms Burnett and Mr Barker. Barker had set up a business as a sole trader offering fire safety services at events. Burnett was working for a company that dealt
A worker at a pet food shop has won her claim of unfair dismissal after she raised concerns over her employer’s Covid protocol. Leah Best worked for Embark on Raw, a pet food retailer owned by husband-and-wife team David and Andrea Fletcher. In March 2020, during the beginning of the pandemic, measures were put in
The franchisor of a care home business has been granted an interim injunction against a franchisee for alleged breaches of their agreement. The case involved Senior Care at Home Ltd (t/as Right at Home UK) and Adult Home Care Ltd. Senior Care was the franchisor of the RIGHT AT HOME brand under which its franchisees
A businessman with an exemplary record has been disqualified from being a director after failing to question a VAT fraud at his company. The case involved the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and XE Solutions Ltd. Three of the company’s directors were disqualified for between 11 and 14 years under the Company
A supplier has failed in its bid to use a force majeure event as a reason to avoid repaying a customer after it failed to fulfil a contract. The issue arose after the two parties entered into a contract in February 2019 for the supply of sulphur diesel. In accordance with the contract, the buyer